Combined mop and wringer



June 11, 1957 J. WATT COMBINED MOP AND WRINGER Filed Dec. 27, 1954 INVENTOR JAMES WATT BY HIS Ammusvs HARR/s,k1EcH, FOSTER #Hmms United States Patent COMBINED MOP AND WRINGER James Watt, Whittier, Calif., assignor to Modglin Company, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Caliorma Application December 27, 1954, Serial No. 477,834

3 Claims. (Cl. -119) The present invention relates in general to mops and, more particularly, to so-called sponge mops having mopping elements of sponge-like materials, usually synthetic in nature, and a primary object is to provide an improved mop of this type.

The conventional sponge mop includes pivotally interconnected mopping and pressing units, the mopping unit including a mopping handle connected to a mopping element, such asa sponge block, and the pressing unit including a pressing element, such as a plate, and a pressing handle connected thereto. With this construction, the pressing element is swung into pressing relation with the mopping element by means of the pressing handle to expel the cleaning liquid being utilized from the mopping element.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a' mop which also has mopping and pressing units, but wherein the pressing unit includes the mopping handle and the mopping unit includes the pressing handle. Thus, the mopping element is compressed to expel liquid therefrom by moving it, by means of the pressing handle, into engagement with the pressing element connected to the mopping handle. With this arrangement of components, a mop results which is in many respects simpler and more economical to manufacture and which makes for easier liquid expulsion from the mopping element, all of which are important features of the invention.

Another object is to provide the pressing and mopping elements with pressing and mopping surfaces respectively located above and below the pivotal connection between the pressing and mopping units when these units are-in mopping position with at least one of the surfaces mentioned in a generally horizontal position. With this construction, the mopping surface lies approximately fiat pressing units ,are in pressing position, thereby insuring .efiicient liquid expulsion from the mopping element.

' Another object of the invention is to provide means [for pivotally connecting vtwoiunits together which also --perforrns other functions, the pivot means including a single member which cooperates with other pivot elements to perform a pivoting function between the two units, and which cooperates with other elements to perform other functions.

Considering the subject matter of the foregoing. aragraph in connection with the mop of the invention specif ically, an important object is to provide pivot means interconnecting the pressing and mopping units which includes a single member having two axially aligned, spaced pintle portions cooperating with other pivotelements to pivot the two units together, having two spaced, forwardly extending, loop portions integral with and disposed between the pintle portions and; connected to the prop element to retain same, and having another, up-

wardly exten'ding loop portion between and integral with the first loop portions mentioned and connected to the pressing handle to retain same. Thus, the single mem- Patented June 11, 1957 ice ber mentioned serves to pivot the mopping and pressing units together, to retain the mopping element, and to retain the pressing handle, which is an important feature of the invention.

Another object is to provide at least parts of the loop portion to which the pressing handle is connected with cross sections differing from the cross section of the remainder of the single member in question to stiffen such loop portion against the application of pressing forces to the pressing handle.

The foregoing objects, advantages and features of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages and features thereof which will become apparent, may be attained with the exemplary embodiment a of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail hreinafter, it being understood that various features of the invention are not necessarily limited to such embodiment. Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a mop embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken alonglthe irregular arrowed line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the multiple purpose member hereinbefore discussed.

Referring to the drawing, the mop illustrated therein includes a pressing unit 10 and a mopping unit 12 pivotally interconnected by a pivot means 14, the mopping unit 12 being located forwardly of the pressing unit 10 when the two units are in mopping positon relative to each other, which position is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The pressing and mopping units arealso pivotable relative to each other into a pressing position, not shown, wherein the mopping unit 12 is displaced in the counterclockwise vvclockwise direction from the mopping position, all as will be discussed in more detail hereinafter.

Considering'the pressing unit 10 in more detailyit includes a pressing element 16 having a pressing surface 18, the pressing element being illustrated as a plate having openings 20 therethrough for cleaning liquid expelled from the mopping unit 12 in a manner to-be described, and having stiffening ribs 22. Connected to the pressing element 16 is a socket 24 for a mopping handle 26 which is held by the user of the mop in normal use thereof to mop a surface to be cleaned, the socket 24, being mounted on :the upper side of the pressing element 16 and being suitably secured thereto, as by welding,

for example. (In connection with the foregoing and other references to upper and lower sides of various components of the mop, it should be noted that the mop as a whole is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing as having been rotated somewhat from the position it normally occupies in use to mop a floor, or otherupwardly facing, horizontalsurface. In actual use on a floor, or the like, the pressing element 16 will be more nearly horizontal.)

The mopping unit 12 includes a mopping element 30 which is provided with a mopping surface 32, the mopping element being a block of sponge-like material in the particular construction illustrated. The mopping element 30 is carried by a backing element 34, the latter being shown as a shallow channel receiving the upper portion of the mopping element.

The mopping element 30 is secured to the backing element 34 in any suitable manner, as by adhering it thereto, for example. The backing element 34 is pivotally connected to the pressing element 16 by the pivot means, 14 in a manner to. be described in more detail hereinafter, and also connected to the backing element 34 is an upwardly and rearwardly extending, pressing handle 36 by means of which the mopping element may be moved into liquid-expelling engagement with the pressing element 16. As best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the pressing handle 36 is disposed forwardly of and engages the mopping handle 26 whenthe pressing and mopping units ltl and 12 arein mopping position, whereby the two handles cooperate to limit pivotal movement of the pressing and mopping units as rnore fully discussed hereinafter. (While it has been stated that the pressing handle 36 is seated against the mopping handle 26 when the pressing and mopping units and 12 are in mopping position, it would be more accurate to state that the pressing handle 36 engages the handle socket 24 under such conditions. However, for convenience, the handle socket 24 is hereinafter regarded as being a part of the mopping handle 26.)

Considering the mop of the invention as thus far described, it will be apparent that, when the mopping surface 32 is in engagement with a surface being mopped and a downward force is applied to the mopping handle 26 as indicated by the arrow 38, an upward, reactive force is applied to the mopping element 30,, as indicated by the arrow 40, to bias the pressing handle 36 into engagement with the mopping handle 26. Thus, these handles serve as a stop means for limiting pivotal movement of the pressing and mopping units 10 and 12 beyond the mopping position without any necessity for any latches or other means for securing the pressing and mopping units relative to each other to. maintain them in mopping position, which is an important feature of the invention. When it is desired to expel cleaning liquid from the mopping element 30, the mopping and pressing handles 26 :and 36 are moved apart to produce relative movement of the pressing and mopping elements 16 and 30 toward each other, whereupon the pressing and mopping surfaces 18 and 32 are brought into engagement with each other to compress the mopping element 30 and thus expel liquid therefrom. It will be noted that, when the pressing and mopping units 10 and 12 are in mopping position with the pressingand mopping surfaces 18 and 32 approximately horizontal, the pressing and mopping surfaces are respectively above and below the pivot-axis between the pressing and mopping units with the result that the mopping surface 32 lies substantially flat against the pressing surface 18 during the pressing operation, or at least makes only a relatively small acute angle therewith, which results in moreeffective liquid expulsion from the mopping element 30.

Considering the pivot means 14, it includestwo axially aligned, axially spaced pintleportions which form integral parts of a single rod-like or wire-like member 42, best shown "in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the pintle portions 40 being disposed in journals 44 formed by rolling portions of the forward edge of the pressing element 16. Thus, the member 42 performs the function of pivotally interconnecting the pressing and mopping units 10 and 12 through the cooperation of the pintle portions 40 thereof with the journals 44.

The member 42, also includes as integral parts thereof two axially spaced, forwardly extending loop portions 46 which are disposed between and form continuatiohs of the pintle portions 40, respectively. The loop portions 46 are disposed between the backing element 34 of the mopping element 30 and a fastening element: 48 in the form of a plate having a marginal flange 50 which seats on the backing element 34 to enclose the loop portions 46. Screws 52, or the like, extending through the fastening element 48 and threaded into the backing element 34 serve to clamp the loop portions 46 between the backing and fastening elements 34 and 48. Thus, the member 42 performs a second function, viz., retaining the mopping element 30.

The member 42 is also provided with an upwardly and rearwardly extending loop portion 54 which is disposed between and forms an integral continuation of the loop portions 46, the loop portion 54 serving to retain the pressing handle 36. The latter is illustrated as formed in two parts between which the loop portion 54 is clamped by rivets 56, or the like. Thus, the member 42, in addition to performing the function of pivotally connecting the mopping unit 12 to the pressing unit 10 and the function of retaining the mopping element 30, performs the further function of retaining the pressing handle 36 and of connecting it to the mopping element 30, all of which greatly simplifies fabrication of and assembly of the components of the mop of the invention.

It will be noted that parts 57 of the loop portion 54 are flattened to give them greater thickness in the direction of pivotal movement of the mopping unit 12, thereby stiffening the loop portion 54 to provide increased strength for the pressing operation.

In order to retain the pressing and mopping units 10 and 12 in mopping position except when they are relatively moved manually to pressing position, the pressing and mopping units are biased toward the mopping position by a rat trap spring means 58 disposed in a rolled port-ion 59 of the pressing plate 16 and having one end 60 engaging the pressing element 16 and one end 62 engaging a portion of the member 42. Since the member 42 and the mopping unit 12 are rigidly connected as hereinbefore described, it will be apparent that the spring means 58 is effective to bias the pressing and mopping units 10 and 12 to mopping position.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed herein for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that various changes, modifications land substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims hereinafter appearing.

The claims are as follows:

1. In a mop of the character described, the combination of: a pressing unit including a pressing element; a second unit including a handle and a cleaning element; pivot means interconnecting said units, said pivot means comprising a single member having coaxially extending,

spaced pintle portions pivotally engaging said pressing element, spaced loop portions extending laterally of the common axis of said pintle portions and secured to said cleaningelement, and a further loop portion between said laterally extending loop portions and extending la terally thereof and laterally of said pintle portions, said further loop portion comprising at least a part of said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 548,622 Ballam Oct. 29, 1895 1,062,105 Lemon May 20, 1913 1,551,668 Johnson Sept. 1, 1925 2,288,647 Reynolds July 7, 1942 2,632,192 Mallory Mar. 24, 1953 2,641,787 Vosbikian et al June 16, 1953 2,670,487 OConnor Mar. 2, 1954 2,677,837 Channel May 11, 1954 2,680,867 Hall June 15, 1954 2,761,161 Channel Sept. 4, 1956 

